Google announced a series of updates to its Gemini AI features on Android this Wednesday. The most significant addition is a new capability for handling multi-step tasks, such as ordering an Uber or food delivery. These automations are part of a broader set of Gemini improvements rolling out now, which also includes an expansion of scam detection for phone calls and updates to Circle to Search that allow identification of all items on a phone screen.
According to Google, these automations let users offload their to-do lists to Gemini. In practice, however, the types of tasks Gemini can manage are still limited. The feature, currently in beta, will initially support select apps in the food, grocery, and rideshare categories. It will also be limited to the Gemini app on certain devices, including the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S26 series, and will only be available in the U.S. and Korea at launch.
Recognizing that AI-powered automations could potentially go wrong, Google has built in several protections. The automations require an explicit command from the device’s owner to start. Users can watch the task’s progress in real time and stop it if it makes a mistake or gets stuck. Google notes these automations run in a secure, virtual window on the phone where they can only access limited apps, not the rest of the data on the device.
This feature aligns with the growing trend of using AI to automate personal tasks. For example, ChatGPT allows users to create tasks that run on schedules and offers an agent to complete computer-based tasks like calendar navigation or generating slideshows. Anthropic’s Cowork tool brings its Claude AI to non-coding tasks for automating everyday file and task management. Another AI tool, OpenClaw, recently gained attention for its ability to manage everyday tasks like sending emails, managing calendars, and checking into flights.
Another Gemini update now available is the expansion of a Scam Detection feature for phone calls. This is becoming available on Samsung Galaxy S26 series devices in the U.S., having already been offered on Pixel phones in the U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, and the U.K. Google is also using its Gemini on-device model to detect scam texts in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. on Pixel 10 series devices, with plans to expand soon to the Galaxy S26 series.
Finally, Google announced an update to its Circle to Search feature. Previously, users could use gestures like scribbling or circling to initiate searches for a single object. The updated feature can now search for everything visible on the phone screen at once. This means you can search every item of clothing in an outfit or learn more about a group of related items and topics simultaneously.
Google has been steadily releasing Gemini updates to Android through regular operating system updates and its frequent Pixel Drops for its flagship phones. This consistent update cycle contrasts with Apple’s reported struggles to release a more comprehensive AI feature set, which includes a revamped, AI-powered Siri. That launch has reportedly been pushed back again to later this year.